Sign In
Free Newsletter
Former Baltimore sheriff candidate charged with campaign finance violations
A 2014 candidate for Baltimore City sheriff was charged with campaign finance violations Friday by the Office of the State Prosecutor.
Richard Parker, 41, of Gwynn Oak, was a Democratic challenger to longtime Sheriff John W. Anderson in the 2014 primary. Anderson won with more than 56% of the vote and continued on to win the general election. Parker received 12.9% of the vote, according to the Maryland Board of Elections.
The state prosecutor alleges Parker filed a campaign finance report in January 2015 that indicated he had more than $40,000 in his campaign account, though his actual account “never contained an amount close” to that.
Parker also filed the report with the electronic signature of his treasurer, but his treasurer had not consented to have forms signed in her name and had not herself examined or signed off on the form, according to a news release from the state prosecutor on Monday.
Parker is charged with two counts of perjury on a campaign finance report, according to electronic court filings. The crime is a misdemeanor subject to the criminal penalty for perjury, up to 10 years in prison, according to Maryland law.
“Transparency is an essential element of the campaign process and we must hold people accountable who do not accurately report their campaign information,” Deputy State Prosecutor Kelly Madigan said in a statement.
Parker did not have an attorney as of Monday afternoon. His initial appearance in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court is scheduled for Sept. 30.
The case is State v. Richard Parker, C-02-CR-19-002050.
